The Soldier Turned Farmer

Excerpt

A Mortar.

This is made of iron, or of wood, or of stone, and is used to pound spice in for puddings.

Boot and Shoes for my father. When you grow a gentleman, you shall have white-top boots and silk strings in your shoes.

A Black Hat which is made of wool and fur, and then worn by men and boys. We will go to the hatter’s and buy one.

Wool Sack is a large bag, filled with wool from the back of the Sheep that have already come from the pasture to be sheared.

This great Tree stands in the Common, and is 65 feet high, 22 feet girth or circumference, 7 feet through, and 83 feet across the branches or about 250 feet round, and covering 7289 sq. ft.

A Horse is a fine fellow to ride on. Horses are of all colours, bay and black, grey and white, and chesnut and sorrel.

A Barrel of cider that the farmer has brought us from the country. I hope the barrel was sweet and clean before he put the cider in it.

Here is the pretty House that Daniel’s father built, and where he now lives with all his little boys. It has trees before it, and the children are playing in the parlour.

This Sheep is one of the flock, who is going home because he has eaten grass enough to-day.

Chest of Tea from the Chinese. Little boys and girls must not have tea, because milk, which you can have from this cow is much better.

This Cow belongs to the farmer whose history I am now going to tell you, and who brings milk here every day.

Story of the Boy who would be a Soldier.

There was a little boy who was just four years old when I knew him, and he lived in this house, and when he grew up he did not wish to be a scholar, and learn the letters, but wanted to be a Soldier and follow the drum. Here you can see one, pretty enough to look at, but of a very noisy sound. Well, this boy would become a soldier, and he was drest in a suit of fine clothes every day, and he strutted about, but if he did any thing wrong, he was sure to be whipped. See him march before the sentry-box, which I think is very hard work, because he must keep going, whether it rains hard or shines hot. In his hand is a heavy gun, on his back a knapsack, and on his head a great cocked hat. Look at him, and see besides the tents or huts in which a soldier sleeps.

Well, after a little time he had to go to a great distance from home, into another part of the world, and one night while he was lying under the tent on his straw bed, he was very much startled by hearing this Lion roar, for he was in that part of the globe where lions live, and he was so frightened that he said he would not be a soldier any longer, but get to his home again as fast as he could. So in the very first ship that sailed for his own country he came home. Here is the ship.

When he left off his coloured clothes, and his gun and belts, he wore a round hat, and went to be a farmer, and he soon bought him a bay horse, and here he has him by the bridle. If you are a good child to-day, he will put him in a chaise and give you a pleasant ride.